Although seaman’s scarves did not originate in the Netherlands, they have been knitted there for more than a hundred years! The ends of a seaman’s scarf are traditionally knitted in garter stitch, but they can also be decorated with pattern stitches as I’m showing here. The center of the scarf is worked in ribbing so that it fits snugly around the neck.

I borrowed this pattern concept because I wanted to offer a project that would give you a chance to practice following charts and working texture-pattern stitches flat. (To practice working similar stitches in the round, with the right side of the work always facing you, check out the Danish Cap pattern, available either separately or in Ethnic Knitting Discovery.

How it works:

Choose from three different styles of worksheets-quick notes, a visual plan, or detailed guidelines:

1) For adventurous and advanced knitters, I have a schematic where you can fill in your measurements and stitch counts as you go.

2) For those who want more details, I have a spreadsheet to help you do all of the calculations you’ll need for your project.

3) For those who have never designed a sweater, or who want a little more hand-holding, I have step-by-step instructions for working up each project (with your numbers).